Switch frog



B. P. GILMOUR.

SWITCH FROG.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4, 1922.

Patented May 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

BENJHN/ZYPGILMQUR B. P. GIYLMOUR.

SWITCH FROG.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4. 1922.

1,416,458., v Patented May 16, 1922.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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24 wow/W Q i Y Y; 3 1:} I I I rss pairs Frti hlitT BENJAMIN 1?.GILCLVLOUR, OF WEST THERE HAUTE, INDIANA.

' SWITCH FROG.

intense.

Application filed March 1, 1922. Serial No. 541,144.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN P. Gm Moon, a citizen of the United States,resrding at est Terre Haute, in the county of Vigo and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Switch Frogs, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to switch frogs for railroads and has for anobject to provide a frog of improved type which shall carry a wheel overin either direction without jar or pounding.

A further object of the invention is to provide a switch frog of'suchtype that the wheel-supporting part of the track at the frog eliminatesopenings transversely of the tread, into which parts of the wheels dropin passing, resulting in jar and noise.

With these and other objects inview the invention comprises certainnovel elements, units, parts, combinations, arrangements and functions,as disclosed in the drawings, together with equivalents thereof, as willbe hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1'is a view of the switch frog in top plan shown associated withfragments of conventional railroad rails in approved relation;

F igure 2 is a View of the frog in edge elevation, as indicated by arrow2 at Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view of the frog in edge elevation, asindicated by arrow 3 at Figure 1;

Figure 4-. is a view of the frog in end elevation, as indicatedby arrow41- at Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a view of the frog in end elevation, as indicated. by arrow5 at Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view through the frog taken on line(3-7 of Figure 1, showing a fragment of a wheel supported upon one ofthe sides of the frog;

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on the same plane asFigure 6 with the fragment of a wheel supported upon the opposite sideofthe frog;

. Figure '8 is a transverse sectional view across the frog, taken online 8-9 of Figure 1, showing a fragment of a wheel upon one side of thefrog;

Figure 9 is a transverse sectional view taken upon the same plane asFigure 8, showing the fragment of a wheel upon the other side of thefrog;

Figure 10 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 10-11 of Figure1, showing a fragment of a wheel upon oneside of the frog;

Figure 11 is a transverse sectional view taken on the same plane asFigure 10, showing a wheel upon t e other side of the frog;

Figure 12 is a transverse sectional View taken on line 12-13 of Figure 1with a fragment of a wheel at the pointof convergence of the paths ofthe wheels;

Figure 13 is a transverse sectional view taken on the same plane asFigure 12 with the wheel also at the convergence but turned intheopposite direction indicating a train traveling upon the other track;

Figure 14 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 14l15 of Figure1, showing a fragment of a wheel supported upon the center rib of thefrog Figure-15 is a transverse sectional view taken on the same plane asFigure 14; with the wheel reversed and likewise supported upon thecentral rib indicating a train traveling on the opposite track;

F igure' 16 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 16-17 ofFigure1 showing a wheel in position thereon;

Figure 17 is a transverse sectional view on the same plane as Figure 16,showing the wheel reversed as to position, indicating a train upon theopposite track; 7

Figure 18 is a transverse sectional view taken. on line 1819 of Figure 1showing a wheel in position as entering upon the track and resting uponone of the rail mem bers, and r Figure 19 is a transverse sectional viewtaken on the same plane as Figure 18. show ing a wheel in oppositerelation bearing upon the other rail section, indicating a trainentering upon the opposite track.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views.

The present invention is directed to the construction of a switch frogwhich shall carry trains over the frog both upon the main line and thesiding without jar or pounding and to provide at all times in relationto a train traveling in either direction, a relatively smooth and leveltrackage.

l/Vith this end in view the switch frog is employed in a track indicatedby the main line rails 20 and 21 and the siding rails 22 and 23. It willbe noted that the main line L uri rail. 21 is a continuous rail, as isusual in such railway construction and that the rail 20 is interruptedupon opposite sides of the frog, the frog completing such rail in thiscase by means of a continuous rib or shoulder 241, which extends theentire length of the frog at the height of the tread of the rail 20 andtherefore provides an un1nterrupted continuation. of such rail upon themain line throughout its length. The siding rail 22 is also a continuousuninterrupted rail, being in fact a continuation of the main line railfrom the switch. '1 ie siding rail 23, however, is interrupted the sameas the rail 20 and is continued by the interposed frog. Means isprovided in the frog for carrying the car wheel. over the rib 2-1 of thefrog without jar. This means comprise the rib 25 which, it will benoted, especially from Figures 1, 6 and 7, is higher than the rib 24L,necessitating, of course, the raising of the abutting rail end 23 tocorrespond. The elevation of the rib 25 above the rib 914: is intendedto correspond substantially with the width of the flange of the wheel26. After crossing the margin of the rib 24 a if-shaped rib 27 isprovided which forms upon one side a continuation of the rib 2 1coinciding with the main line rail 20 and upon its opposite sidecoinciding with the rib 25 and. with the siding rail 23. It will benoted especially from Figures 1 1 and 15 that this V-shaped rib 27 has aguide 28 spaced therefrom by a groove 29, such groove forming acontinuation of the inner side of the main line rail 20 andaccommodating the flange 26 of the wheel traveling upon the main linerail. Upon the opposite side a. guide 30 is adjacent this ll-shaped rib27 and separated therefrom by a groove 31, substantially disappearing onthe position of the sections 12-13 and wholly disappearing and merginginto the rib 24; between the sections 10-11 and 12'13, so that thesections 10-11 do not show any groove corresponding to this groove 31.

It will be noted especially from Figures 11 and 13 that the rib 25, atthis point represented by a replaceable plate 32, is of such height thatthe flange 33 of'the wheel traveling upon the siding is raised above therib 24 and above that point of the ll-shaped rib 27 which merges intothis rib 24:, so that the flange is carried over the marginal edgecorresponding to the inner edge of the tread of the rail 20 and at thepoint of the section 12-13 the flange engages upon the top of the rib24L, so that at this point the weight of the wheel as carried upon theflange and not upon the tread. As the wheel advances the groove 31becomes deeper so that the tread of the wheel engages upon the J- shapedrib 27, the wheel being carried thereby onto the rail 23. i

For the purposes of illustration it will be assumed that trains aretraveling in the directions indicated by the arrow, either upon the mainline or upon the siding. Upon the iain line, therefore, the trainadvancing in the direction indicated by the arrow A will pass from therail 20 onto the rib 24;, as shown at Figure 7, continuing as at Figure8, at Figure 10, at Figure 12, at Figure 14, at Figure 17 and at Figure19, presenting at all times a continuous plane uninterrupted treadcommunicating with the abutting rail 20 at the opposite end. A traintravelin upon the siding in the direction indicated by the arrow B willengage the rib 25, as indicated at Figure 6 continuing as at Figure 9,at Figure 11 and at Figure 13 in each instance being still upon thereplace able plate 32 and at the position shown at Figure 13 the wheelis raised to such an ex tent that the flange 33 of the wheel slides overand upon the rib 2 1, the supporting part of the rib 241 gradually beingdropped into the groove 31 which increases in depth, as indicated atFigures 15 and 17, the groove disappearing by eliminating the guide 28,so that at the position 18-19 and as shown at Figure 19, the wheel issupported upon its tread upon the ll-shaped rib 27 in the usual mannercoinciding with the rail section 23 abutting. As shown at Figures 1, 18and 19 the ii-shaped rib is provided with a recess 34:, but it isobvious that this recess is wholly unimportant to the invention, as afrog constructed with the Vshaped rib 27 continued as an uninterruptedsurface throughout its length would serve the purpose. To insure thewheel when resting upon the replaceable plate 32 passing over so thatthe flange shall rest upon the rib 24 a guide rail 35 is providedengaging the inside of the flange of the opposite wheel.

As shown at Figures 2 and 3 perforations 36 are provided to accommodatebolts eX- tending through fish plates or other rail oints in the usualwell-known manner. At Figure 1 no attempt has been made to'show thisconnection and spaces have been left between the ends of the frog andthe abutting rail. sections merely for the purpose of disclosing moredefinitely where the frog terminates and the rail begins, but it is tobe understood that in practice these parts will abut closely and will beconnected in any well-known manner to insure rigidity to preventpounding as the wheels pass over the joint.

What I claim to be new is:

1. A switch frog proportioned to be interposed between spaced ends ofinterlying main line and siding rails comprising a continuousuninterrupted tread surface corresponding identically with the treadsurface of the main line rail sections, a rib coinciding with a sidingrail elevated above the main line rail to correspond to the width of awheel flange, said rib tending to carry the wheel until the flange or"the wheel shall engage upon the top of the section carrying the mainline, and a guide rail serving to insure the passage of the Wheel fromsaid rib across the intervening space represented by the interior lineof the main line tread.

2. A switch frog adapted to be associated with spaced ends of interiorrails of a siding and main line track, said frog having a treadcoinciding and continuous with the abutting ends of the main line andpresenting a continuous depression to accommodate the flange of thewheel, a rib carried by the frog secured to and coinciding with thesiding rail elevated above the main line level a distance correspondingto the flange of the Wheel, a groove formed in the frog proportioned toreceive the flange of the Wheel elevated by the said rib, said grooveincreasing in depth whereby the wheel supported upon its flange fallsgradually to bring the tread of said Wheel into engagement with thesurface of the main line tread diverging therefrom, and a guide railpositioned to insure the following of said course by said siding wheel.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afliX my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

BENJAMIN P. GILMOUR.

